City of Broken Dreams
by TimeSeerStudios
Summary: In this dramatic and twisted story set just after the events of City of Lost Souls, Simon discovers that a powerful, interdimensional being would be willing to grant him a wish. But when he wishes that Clary had fallen for him instead of Jace, his fantasy soon falls to ruin and events spin wildly out of control. Can he set things right before it is too late?
1. Chapter 1: Twist of Fate

It had been a pretty normal day so far for Simon, well, as normal as a day for the one and only Daylighter vampire could be. Jordan and Maia were spending some time together, so Simon was on his way to Clary's, for lack of anything better to do. He figured it would be a perfectly normal walk. Looking back on it, Simon wondered how he had been so naïve.

"Daylighter," purred a cool, unfamiliar female voice from an ally as he passed. He paused and looked down the ally. In the darkness a strange creature stood, watching him with golden eyes. It looked a bit like a woman at first glance, but instead of legs, a spiky serpent's body coiled leisurely. Her skin was a light gray-green color, and a pair of curling golden horns extended from her brows. Huge dark scaly wings stretched from her back. Her long hair was a nasty dark gray-green color. The only remotely normal thing about her was a fancy dark blue shirt that covered her upper half. He knew that she must be some sort of demon, but he had never heard of one like this before. She grinned at him, revealing pointed teeth like a shark's.

"What do you want?" Simon asked, not coming any closer. He didn't trust this weird demon lady, not one bit. She chuckled. He trusted her even less.

"Just a talk, that's all." Her eyes glittered.

"Of course that's all you want," Simon replied snidely.

"What makes you think I want anything more?"

"Demons always want something more." She watched him coolly, inspecting him with curious golden eyes.

"Perhaps," she answered after a moment.

"Well, if we're just going to stand here and chat about what you want from me all day, I have better things to do." Simon started to walk off.

"No, there is more than that to discuss, Daylighter." He glanced back to her suspiciously.

"Such as?" She moved slightly closer to him, but still stayed in the darkness.

"I know many things," she purred, "Things I am certain you would find most interesting." Simon was getting a bit impatient.

"Are you going to tell me what you're talking about or not?" She sneered.

"Patience. I think it would be quite useful to you. Now…" She paused dramatically. "You know that there are many worlds, do you not?" Simon thought for a moment.

"You mean the Demon worlds?" He asked.

"And others. Many, many others."

"Ones that demons have destroyed?"

"No, they still live. There are far, far too many to ever end them all, Daylighter. Infinitely many…" She watched him for a long while, making him wonder if she was going to continue or not. "All the stories are true." Simon stared at her.

"… You can't mean…"

"ALL of them. Every single one is real somewhere. Every book, every movie, every single thought produced by mankind's vast imagination… They are all real."

"What does this have to do with me?" Simon finally asked.

"You are unique." The demon's voice was so quiet he barely heard her. "You do not know it, but you have attracted a great deal of attention. Attention from other worlds."

"Good attention or bad attention? Because it would be cool to have some fangirls." The demon laughed, surprising him.

"Oh, if only you knew…" She chuckled.

"I have fangirls?"

"That's not the point," she said. "The point is THIS. A being known as the Time Seer has taken a liking to you."

"Which means..?"

"Just call on her name, and she will come to you. She possesses extremely powerful magic. The nephilim fear her because of this power, and because they do not have her favor. You do."

"Why are you telling me this?" Simon demanded, "What are you trying to gain?"

"She would do anything for you, Daylighter. Anything you ask of her she would give you without hesitation."

"Like if I asked her to smite a particularly annoying demon…"

"Very funny," she answered coldly.

"So, what are you getting out of this?" repeated Simon.

"You could wish for ANYTHING. Everything even, if that is what you desired." She sneered. "You are a very jealous vampire, Daylighter." If Simon could have grown paler, he would have. The demon's grin grew wider. "You may hide it well, but I can see it in you. I am the demon of envy, Izuryale. I know you still desire her. No matter how much you wish you did not." For the first time, the demon's words registered, and he understood why she was telling him all this.

She thought he would wish Clary loved him instead of Jace.

"You really think I'm going to hurt Jace so I could have Clary? Clary and Jace are happy together. I like to think I'm not THAT selfish."

"No," Izuryale's voice was a cool, confident purr. "I think you're going to wish Clary had never fallen for him in the first place. That she had loved you instead. I think that you won't be able to resist. In fact… I KNOW it." Simon backed off slowly.

"Then, you don't know ME." Simon turned and ran off, but he could still hear the demon's cold laugh in the darkness, a laugh of awful triumph.

* * *

When Simon arrived at Clary's house, he told her about the demon, and even about the story of the Time Seer, but left out the demon's prediction. That wasn't really anything she needed to know. It wasn't important anyway. There was no way he was going to call on the Time Seer after a DEMON, of all things, had suggested it to him. Not exactly a trustworthy source.

"We could always ask Luke," Clary suggested afterward. "He knows a lot more about old Nephilim legends than I do. He might know who she was."

"The Time Seer or Izuryale?"

"Both."

Right on cue, Luke stepped into the room.

"Did someone say my name?"

"Great timing," said Simon.

"Yeah," added Clary, "We actually wanted your opinion on something…"

Simon retold the story again, trying not to leave out anything important. When he finished, Luke was watching him with a very strange expression. Almost as if he half-expected Simon to randomly burst into flames and burn down the house. It made Simon a bit uncomfortable, considering he'd always thought of Luke as a friend.

"I've heard stories about them both," Luke finally stated, "And they're both very, very bad news. Izuryale is one of the oldest of the Greater Demons, close to Lillith's age." Just the mention of Lillith sent chills down Simon's spine, even though he no longer felt the cold. "She is very crafty. She wouldn't have bothered telling you about the Time Seer if she didn't think it would have dangerous consequences for you."

"What is the Time Seer, then? Another demon?" asked Clary.

"Not WHAT. WHO." Luke corrected, "No one knows for sure what she is, exactly. But she is extremely dangerous, and you should NOT try to call her. According to the old stories, she brings disaster wherever she goes, is exceptionally powerful, and totally unpredictable. It's anyone's guess what would happen if you summoned her. She might grant you a wish if she likes you as much as Izuryale claimed, or she might blast half the continent to ash if she's in a bad mood."

"Nice lady," commented Simon.

"This isn't a joke, Simon," Luke sighed. "Please try to take this seriously." Simon had never heard Luke so serious before, not even with all they had been through. "Calling the Time Seer is potentially more dangerous even than summoning the Angel. Promise me that you will not attempt it."

"It won't be a problem," said Simon.

"Glad to hear it."

* * *

As much as Simon wished he could say he hadn't considered summoning the Time Seer, he couldn't. Even after Luke's warning, he couldn't help thinking about the possibilities. If Izuryale was telling the truth, he could have ANYTHING… Or ANYONE.

He pushed the thoughts away and instantly hated himself. He should be HAPPY for Clary. And he was, in a way. But he still wished she had chosen him instead. Especially considering how confusing Isabelle was anymore(she really was a mess of mixed signals these days), he wanted something more… Stable. And as much as Simon wished she was, Isabelle was no Clary.

Simon forced himself to focus on the present again. He didn't think about Izuryale or the Time Seer and her strange possibilities until it was time to return to his apartment with Jordan.

* * *

As Simon trudged back home along the dark street, lit only by the occasional flickering streetlight, he let his thoughts wander again. As much as he hated to admit it, Izuryale had been right, in her way. Now that Simon knew calling the Time Seer and making all his old dreams come true was a possibility, he couldn't seem to get it out of his head. He was hooked like a fish on a line.

Finally, as he was walking alone through a deserted alley, curiosity won out. He wasn't even sure what made him call out her name. Maybe it was that he was tired. Maybe his mind was blurred by hunger. Or maybe he was more jealous of Jace than he'd ever realized.

"Time Seer!" His voice sounded like it was coming from someone else. "Can you hear me?" He waited for something to happen. A dramatic flash in front of him. An awesome explosion of fire. At least a bit of smoke. SOMETHING.

"Of course." The voice was soft, calm, perhaps even friendly. It came from behind him, causing him to spin around in shock. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Perhaps a cat-eyed demon with curling horns, or a monstrous creature with claws and fangs. Something at least mildly frightening. Any way you looked at it, he wasn't expecting what he saw in front of him.

She was a woman, dressed in an elegantly flowing blue dress. Shining blue stones formed simple but beautiful bracelets and a necklace. On her left cheek, just under her eye, spiraling blue markings faintly glowed. Her eyes were a matching blue, unnaturally vivid, like the ocean. There was compassion in their depths, and an ancient sorrow that seemed older than Earth itself. An aura of power surrounded her being, but it wasn't the same as being in the presence of an angel. Not stronger or weaker, just different. Looking at her ethereal beauty but kind eyes, Simon thought that somehow, she was human and not human at the same time.

"Is something the matter?" she asked after a moment, watching him with a mixture of kindness and confusion.

"… You're the Time Seer?" Simon finally managed. It sounded pathetic, even to his own ears. He hoped she wouldn't find it insulting. It was only then that he thought about the danger of what he had done. What if she really was as cruel as Luke said, and blasted the United States to cinders for his foolishness?

To his relief, she just smiled and gave a gentle nod. "Indeed," she said. "So, Simon Lewis, is that all you called me for? Or do you have a better reason?" She watched him expectantly, her eyes glittering faintly in the darkness.

"Izuryale said you had taken an interest in me," he replied, slightly more confident, "Is that true?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Do you always come when you're called?"

"Only if I feel like it." The woman's expression showed faint amusement. "I was sure you of all people would make it worth my time."

"Am I doing a good job?" Simon hoped he wasn't pushing too far, but she just chuckled.

"Of course." She was still smiling an odd smile, like she was remembering something pleasant. "You always were my favorite." He stared at her.

"Your... Favorite?"

"Oh yes." She smiled coolly. "So, then, Simon Lewis, legendary Daylighter... What is your wish?"

"My wish?"

"Well, there must be something that you want, if you bothered to call on me." For the first time, Simon heard an edge of irritation in her voice. "I may be immortal, but that doesn't mean I have all the time in the world. I'm quite a busy person, I'll have you know."

"Does this work like... A genie, or something?" Simon asked. He thought it was a legitimate question, anyway.

"Perhaps, except that this genie is only granting your wish as a FAVOR, and can erase your entire dimension from existence if she so pleases." Simon gave her a nervous look. "Just kidding. I wouldn't do that. I prefer to think of myself as a guardian. And what kind of guardian would I be if I destroyed the people that I was supposed to be protecting?"

"A really, really bad one?" The Time Seer smiled faintly.

"I tend to forget you are bold enough to blurt out the first thing that pops into your head. Or perhaps bold isn't the word." She shook her head sadly. "Nevermind, that's not the point. Let's cut to the chase, Simon Lewis. I ask you again… What is it that you wish?"

At first Simon wasn't sure. Then he remembered those words, those awful, tempting words… _I think you're going to wish Clary had never fallen for him in the first place. That she had loved you instead. I think that you won't be able to resist. _He had told himself it wasn't true, that he would resist. That he was happy with what he had.

But now that the moment had come, he knew it was what he had always wanted, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Simon knew he should be wishing for something better, like the death of Sebastian, or world peace, or even to save an endangered animal. But Izuryale had been right. Simon couldn't resist. And he didn't really want to, either.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

"Time Seer…" he began, "Can you change the past?" She gave a single nod. "I wish… That Clary had fallen in love with me instead of Jace." Even as he said the words, he couldn't believe he'd really wished for such a thing. Was it even possible?

She blinked at him, surprise clear in her expression. "Are... Are you sure?" Her voice was quiet, perhaps even nervous. "Changing the past is dangerous business. One event changes another and another... It's anyone's guess what the final result will be."

That didn't sound good.

"Will there be a way to undo it?" Simon asked.

"If you call on me within three days of the time shift, I will gladly change things back to the way they once were."

"Why three days?"

"Because after three days, you, too, will forget that things were ever any different. You will not know me."

"Then no one else will know about this?"

"Just you and me."

"Then... I'm sure."

The Time Seer gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. "If you're sure..." She paused. "Remember, only three days before you forget. Three days. No more. Now... Are you ready?"

"Yes."

* * *

Suddenly everything was different. There was no warning, just a sudden snap to alertness, and a startling revelation that he wasn't in the same place anymore, like waking from a dream. He didn't even feel the same. Simon looked down at himself, and was stunned. He was wearing one of his old hoodies, a T shirt, ragged jeans with holes in the knees, and a pair of sneakers. At first it caught him by surprise, then he remembered his latest style was entirely because of Isabelle. This time he was dating Clary, who had never minded his old fashion, or rather, his lack of fashion. Simon felt something rested on his nose, and reached up, catching hold of his old glasses. He took them off, and the world blurred around him. He quickly put them back in their place.

What had happened? Where was he? Why did he need glasses again? And why was he so COLD? Simon's head was filled with questions. Then suddenly a thought occurred to him. He felt at his wrist, and felt the steady rhythm of a pulse. He tried to unsheathe his fangs, but they were gone. He was a bit hungry, but not for blood.

Simon wasn't a vampire anymore.

He couldn't help grinning as he realized what that meant. No more blood. No more being scared he'd hurt someone he cared about. His mother wouldn't be terrified of him. He could go into Churches and temples and Synagogues again. He could say God whenever he liked, and could pray all day if he wanted to. He wasn't cursed.

Simon stepped out of the alley he had woken in, and, recognizing the area, set off toward Clary's house, excited to see just how much things had changed. If what he had discovered so far was anything to go by, he wasn't going to need to call on the Time Seer again.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Life

Simon had his first flashback just as Clary's home came into view. It struck him without warning, slamming him into a memory that wasn't his. Or wasn't it?

_It was the party that had happened at Magnus's house long ago, before he'd been turned into a vampire. The one where he'd drank a potion that turned him into a rat. Only this time, things happened differently. Clary and Simon were already dating. He had no reason to try making her jealous by attempting to get Isabelle to notice him. He didn't drink the potion. He didn't get turned into a rat. They left, and everything was relatively normal. Simon never went to the Dumort hotel. He never bit Raphael. He never even met him. _

Simon snapped back to the present. It took him a moment to realize this was a memory from this new timeline. The timeline where Clary loved him. It certainly explained why he was still human. He paused, wondering if this was going to happen very often. It would be bad if he suddenly had a flashback as he was talking to someone. Or in a dangerous situation. Both of which he figured were likely to happen from time to time, considering he was friends with Shadowhunters.

Simon continued on his way to Clary's house, which had once just been Luke's house. Now that they were all living together, Simon thought of Clary first when he thought of the place. When it came into sight, it was the same small, unassuming house it had always been. He headed up to the front door confidently, reassured by its untouched condition. The door was unlocked, so Simon opened it and stepped inside.

The inside was just the way Simon remembered it as well. Then two people came in from the other room. Clary and Luke. Luke was just the same as he was in the other timeline. But Clary wasn't. Not quite.

It was obvious immediately that she hadn't followed the Shadowhunter way of life like her other self. He hadn't even noticed how much she had toughened up until he saw her now, saw how SMALL she was. Simon supposed that when you saw someone every day, you didn't notice the gradual changes. She still had a pencil clutched in her hand, and some of the graphite was smudged on her fingers. No doubt she had been drawing when he opened the door and interrupted. He smiled.

"Hey," said Simon. "Miss me?" He hoped he sounded casual enough, though it was hard to keep his voice from cracking.

"Of course," Clary replied. Then she kissed him. It was just a quick peck, but Simon was so surprised that he didn't know what to do. He recovered fast enough, but was sure she had noticed his odd reaction. However, after eyeing him a moment, she seemed to dismiss it.

"So, what are you drawing this time?" Simon asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Why don't you just come and look?" she replied. They went into the other room, and there on the table was what he guessed was her most recent drawing. It was as incredible as all her pictures were, and this one was a drawing of an angel, which Simon instantly recognized as Raziel. The image perfectly captured the terrifying combination of power and beauty that defined the angel.

"It's beautiful," said Simon. And it really was, too.

"Thanks," Clary replied with a smile.

Then all at once Simon had another flashback. It hit him hard and fast, suddenly flinging him into the past once again.

_Simon had made it to Idris just the same way he had before, only the Forsaken's attack had cut his leg instead of stabbing him in the back as it had in his timeline, thankfully… He had been forced to stay in the house simply because his leg needed to heal, though the Shadowhunters still hadn't appreciated a mundane being brought into their city… During the big battle he had been forced to stay inside with Max… Wait… That couldn't be right…Max was… _

The flashback ended and Simon was jolted back to reality. It took him a moment to realize that Clary was staring at him, apparently waiting for him to say something. It seemed that he had missed something because of the memory returning.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Zoned out for a sec there. Were you saying something?"

"Simon," Clary stated, "It's my job to randomly zone out, not yours." It took Simon another moment to realize she was joking. He forced a nervous laugh, but was still too shaken by his last flashback to come up with a witty retort. He'd noticed how different he felt, but only now was he starting to notice other things that just weren't right.

"Anyway," Clary continued, snapping Simon from his thoughts, "I was asking if you were still planning on going to band practice tonight. I was waiting for you so we could go together. Then you went off out of nowhere… We're kinda late." Band practice? Simon hadn't even considered that his band's schedule might be different than it was before. In fact, he wasn't even sure what it was being called that week. That was certainly a first. Usually Clary was asking HIM what it was named. Simon was starting to wish he'd just forget his old life and get it over with.

"How late?" asked Simon.

"We're supposed to be at Eric's garage in five minutes." It took at least ten minutes to get to the place from Luke's house, and that was if you assumed the traffic was light. Simon highly doubted it was.

Luke jingled the keys to his truck to catch their attention.

"Yeah, we should probably go now," said Simon.

"You think?" asked Clary snidely. Simon grinned.

* * *

As fun as it had been to hang out with his bandmates and practice the songs they had planned for their next gig just like old times, the whole thing had been very confusing to Simon. He only discovered that their band was currently named Millennium Lint about halfway through the meeting. He could've sworn they'd already used that name before, but didn't think it was worth bringing up. Simon hated to admit it, but he was relieved when it was over and they headed back to Luke's. The time shift had made the experience quite disorienting.

And not only that, but Simon had been quite distracted the whole time. There hadn't been a single flashback, but the last one he had seen still left him in shock. He felt as if there should be something more to the memory. Something important. Simon was sure it had been cut off just before an event that could change his opinion of this timeline forever. But he couldn't know for sure, and it was both frustrating and worrying.

Then there was the scar on his leg where the Forsaken had stabbed him. It was an ugly, torn mark, like the edge of a ripped piece of paper. He had gotten a chance to look at it when no one was paying attention to him, and just the sight of it made him cringe. It looked pretty awful, even totally healed.

When they got back, it was already dark. There wasn't much in the fridge that was suitable for dinner, so Luke called for pizza instead, which Simon was okay with. This time, the werewolf wisely ordered two.

Simon was eyeing the boxes as soon as they arrived.

Since he'd been a vampire, he'd lived exclusively off of blood and coffee. Sometimes blood mixed with hot chocolate, if he was at Taki's. The only time he'd had anything solid was when he'd had to eat because his mother was watching, and he'd regretted it afterward. But now that he was human again…

He really enjoyed that vegetarian pizza.

Afterward, Simon just relaxed, talking with Clary. He couldn't imagine anything so awful he would want to take back this wish.

As far as he knew, this was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

That night, he slept like a rock on the couch. He hadn't slept that well in a long, long time.


	3. Chapter 3: Destiny Unravels

"Simon." Simon snapped awake to the sound of his name. It was morning, and warm light was illuminating the room, and a rather concerned-looking Clary, who was apparently the one calling him.

"Good morning," he said quickly, sitting up, trying to act normal. But it was obvious that she wasn't buying it.

"Simon," she stated, "You were acting really weird yesterday… It's not like you to just wander off on your own without telling anyone." Simon blinked. Was that why he had been out in an alley when the timeline shift happened? "Then you forgot band practice. Normally you're the one reminding ME. And you were acting all distracted when you came back. AND you should have SEEN yourself with that pizza! It was like you'd never had it before." She sighed. "Simon, are you feeling alright? Did something happen while you were gone?"

"I'm fine," Simon said, frowning. "I just feel a little… Off is all. Don't worry about it."

"You KNOW that I can tell when you're lying, Simon." Simon flinched. "But, fine… If you really don't want me to know, that's your decision." He could hear the disappointment and agitation in her voice. "Just… Whatever it is… Good luck, okay?"

"… Thanks." Simon climbed to his feet, watching her expression. It was obvious that she was worried about him. She really thought he was in some sort of trouble. He felt awful hiding something from her, but he knew he had no choice. It would just be too weird otherwise. Besides… He'd forget his old life in two days, anyway. He could hold things together until then, right?

"Let's go get some breakfast," said Clary.

"Good plan."

* * *

It was a pretty good day. It was a lot like things had been before they had known about the world of Shadowhunters. They even went over to Simon's house for a while. Since he'd never been a vampire, his mother had never gone crazy, though she was oddly suspicious from his time in Idris. Even despite that, it was still a dream-come-true for Simon. He'd thought he didn't want things to be the way they were before, but now that it had actually happened, he was enjoying every second of it. Maybe it was because it was even BETTER than things had been before.

Or at least it was until he had another flashback that struck him like a freight train, carrying him into another distorted and alarming memory.

_It took only moments to become obvious it was a continuation of Simon's last flashback. He was in the house in Idris, sitting in the living room, a crutch by his side. He wasn't supposed to be out of bed, but he couldn't help it. There was fighting outside, and he wasn't going to let himself be a sitting duck if the demons got in. Admittedly, this position wasn't much better, but at least he could get up fairly quickly, and his crutch was in reach. If nothing else, he could try smacking a demon with it. Not that it would do much, but it was better than nothing._

Max was sitting in the same room, looking anxious. He was clearly too distracted by the events in the city outside to read a manga. Simon couldn't blame him. The sounds outside really were quite disturbing. He was glad Isabelle and Sebastian were fortifying the house.

Then something went wrong. Sebastian came back in. He apparently hadn't noticed Simon yet, since he wasn't directly in sight. He was going toward Max, sneaking up on him, and something about his expression struck Simon as wrong. He looked hostile, violent even. He'd called out, asking Sebastian what he was doing. Then he'd turned and glared at Simon, and his eyes had been pure black. Simon had thought maybe it was a demon in disguise, and yelled at Max to run. And he had.

Furious, Sebastian had turned on Simon. He'd tried to defend himself with the crutch, but Sebastian was fast, too fast. He caught the crude weapon and flung it to the floor, then suddenly he had Simon by the throat, and there was pain, and a SNAP-

Then nothing. 

When Simon snapped out of the flashback this time, he was relieved, but also confused and shaken. What had just happened? Had he just died? But how could that be, if he was still here, perfectly alive? What was going on? Then Simon realized that Clary was staring at him again.

"Simon," she said finally, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he lied.

She just shook her head in frustration, no doubt noticing that he wasn't being truthful with her. Which just made him feel all the worse.

* * *

A few hours later, during dinner, Simon had another flashback, and this one was even worse than the last.

_Simon was back in the dark, and he knew he must be dead. But then he heard something, a voice. Clary's voice. He followed it…_

Suddenly he was awake. He was lying on the ground next to a lake. In the sky was a magnificent golden, winged figure. Raziel. Standing in front of him was Clary. And lying on the ground like grotesque broken dolls were Valentine and Jace.

Clary had turned, and her despairing look had lightened at the sight of him.

She had wished him back to life.

And that meant she hadn't wished Jace back to life.

Jace was dead. And this time, he wasn't coming back. 

When Simon returned to the present, he was so stunned he dropped the piece of pizza he'd been holding back on his plate. And it wasn't a good kind of stunned. It was more a shocked, guilty, utterly horrified sort of stunned, the sort that made a person break into a cold sweat and want to just crawl into a corner and die.

Sure, he'd apparently saved Max, but because of him, Jace was gone instead. It was all his fault. And the only way to fix it was to undo his wish. But he wouldn't do that. He COULDN'T. Maybe he could still make this work, maybe, maybe…

"Simon!" Simon snapped back to reality. Clary was looking at him again.

"Uh, yeah?" he said weakly.

"Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Of course."

"Then what did I just say?"

"…" Clary gave him an exasperated look.

"You did it again," she said, shaking her head.

"Sorry," said Simon, "What were you saying?"

"Nevermind." Simon blinked. He had a feeling she had just said something bizarre to see if he was paying attention. He knew he'd done that to her a few times.

"If you're sure…" He went back to his dinner.

The table was very quiet for the rest of the meal.

* * *

That night, Simon slept back at home. He figured he didn't need to give his mother any more trouble than he already had.

This time he didn't sleep so well. All night Simon was troubled by nightmares of blond-haired demon boys with black feathery wings trying to climb out of a fiery pit. And knowing who it was based off of made the dreams all the more alarming.


	4. Chapter 4: The Past Catches Up

The next day, Simon headed back over to Clary's after having breakfast at home. But this time, things weren't so normal. There was a strange tension in the household that hadn't been there before. As if something very, very bad had happened over night. The house was very quiet, and everyone seemed on edge. It filled Simon with dread.

"Clary," Simon asked quietly when Luke and Jocelyn were out of the room. "What's going on? Did something happen?" Clary frowned.

"The demon attacks are getting more frequent, and from what Luke was saying… They're organized. They're TARGETING people. Apparently, last night a big-shot vampire in Europe was attacked by a pack of about thirty drevak demons. He didn't stand a chance, though apparently he took a lot of the demons out with him."

"Who was it?"

"Some guy named Cameron Cromwell. Apparently he was one of the big underground vampire bosses. The sort who was so old anyone would do whatever he wanted out of fear, even other vampires." She frowned at noticing his expression. "I hadn't heard about him myself until today, when my mom and Luke were discussing the attack."

"Why would the demons target him? I mean, it's not like they inherited his authority over other vampires or anything, right?"

"No," said Clary, "But they could take away his. Apparently he's been warning about the demons getting bolder for a while now. Trying to rally everyone against them, instead of causing trouble with the Clave. But the Clave still won't take him seriously." Simon could hear the frustration in her voice. "Hardly anyone will. Even with Shadowhunters and Downworld leaders getting picked off left and right…"

"Well… I'm sure it'll all work out okay in the end." Simon was trying to be positive, but Clary just sighed.

"If only I could be so sure…"

* * *

It was around noon when everything went wrong. There was no warning, no sign that something awful was about to happen. Just a sudden flurry of motion and yelling.

One moment Simon and Clary were playing a videogame in her room. The next, someone else was there. Someone Simon didn't know. He caught a glimpse of a blue jacket, brown hair, pale skin, and a huge broadsword with a Marked maroon hilt. An old Shadowhunter sword.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice was so sad Simon wondered if he meant it.

Then the broadsword swung and everything went black.

* * *

Simon woke slowly, wincing. His head hurt horribly, and the past events were still blurry. He looked around, surprised to find himself in a cramped stone cell. There was one window, and one heavy, totally solid door. Light filtered in through the barred window. It was only a few hours before sunset. And this was his last day to decide if he wanted to take back his wish. His last night before he forgot things had ever been any different.

He sat up and looked around. This wasn't like any jail he'd been in before. The place was old, and the space he was in was very small, even for a cell. He had no idea where he was. And come to think of it, why would anyone be interested in HIM? He wasn't the Daylighter anymore. What could they possibly want? And who was that weird guy who had attacked him? He'd looked like a vampire, but Simon had thought HE was the only Daylighter. Finally Simon gave up on trying to figure it out and just sat in the corner of his cell. He figured he'd find out what the heck was going on soon enough.

And he was right. Just a couple minutes later, Simon heard a few clicks as locks on the door opened up. It swung out, and standing in the doorway…

… Was Izuryale. Her golden reptile eyes glittered with triumph. She sneered at him, showing off wicked shark teeth. Simon was stunned. What did SHE want? What was she planning?

"How easily you fell into our trap, Lewis," she cackled. Her voice was sharp and cold and scratchy, extremely unpleasant to listen to. "Just like I knew you would."

"What trap?" Simon asked. "I don't think coming into someone's house and kidnapping them is considered a trap." She laughed.

"You fool. You utter fool. You don't get it at all do you?" She grinned cruelly. "I knew what would happen from the start. This was all a part of my plan. You have gotten rid of our worst enemy. The Herondale boy is no more. He will never get in our way again. You are no longer a threat, just an ordinary, powerless human. That redheaded friend of yours never received any Shadowhunter training, so she will never be a danger. But still one of the light, you specifically, has been resurrected, so we are able to bring back one for the dark." Simon flinched.

"Sebastian?" He really hoped he was wrong.

"Indeed. And now there is no one left who can oppose him." Izuryale chuckled. "This time, we will win. And it will all be thanks to you." She apparently found this concept quite amusing, whereas Simon was completely horrified. "All the world will belong to my kind… All because of your fatal flaw. Even now you won't take back your wish, now will you?" Simon was silent. "That's what I thought. I will see you again soon, little fool…" She laughed coldly and slithered off, slamming the door behind her, leaving Simon alone in the silence once more.

He hated it, but Izuryale was right. He still couldn't seem to make himself call on the Time Seer again to end his wish. The more he thought about it, the more he despised himself.

He, Simon Lewis, had single-handedly screwed up the entire world. Gee, his mother would be so proud.

Then again, even in his own, regular timeline, his mother STILL wouldn't have been proud of him, no matter what side he was on or what he did. In her mind, he was nothing but an undead monster. Just thinking about it hurt.

Suddenly the door swung open again, and someone else was shoved inside. He tumbled to the floor and the door slammed behind him. Simon recognized him instantly as the one who had attacked him at the house, only now his sword was missing, and he looked exhausted and badly beaten. Now that Simon was close to him, it was all the more obvious that he was indeed a vampire.

But there was sunlight in the room, shining right on the boy, and he wasn't burning. Simon was stunned. Who WAS this guy?

The vampire slowly climbed to his feet, wincing. At first he didn't seem to notice Simon. Then his dark brown eyes focused, and he watched Simon wearily.

"I don't think I properly introduced myself before…" he said quietly. "My name is Cameron Cromwell." Simon stared at him in disbelief.

"I heard just earlier today that you'd been killed by demons!"

The vampire smiled sadly. "I'm quite the master of deception. However… It seems this time it was myself that was duped." He glanced toward the door, then spat at it in a particularly disrespectful manner. "They invited me to 'discuss a deal' with them a couple days ago. I decided to go, along with a few other vampires. However, instead of a Greater demon, I encountered a virtual army of lesser ones. They killed my associates and took me prisoner. Then Lillith used her magic to temporarily seize control of my mind. I became her puppet. She only ever wanted me for use in her ancient resurrection ritual. Wretched demoness!" Fury burned in Cameron's eyes. "If she ever makes the mistake of letting me escape… I will not rest until she is so scattered across the countless dimensions that she can never reform again!" Simon frowned. Time to change the subject.

"You're a Daylighter." The vampire blinked at him.

"Why, yes. I was once known as the Daylight Knight. These days I am generally referred to as New Cain, if I am called by a nickname." He shook his head bitterly. "I personally preferred being called the Daylight Knight. Much more heroic." He paused. "Unusual for a human to know of such things. But then again, usually a demon wouldn't take interest in a human, either. Nor is it usual for one to be so intimate with a Shadowhunter." He shrugged. "Times are really changing."

"I guess so," said Simon. Now he knew who had replaced him as the Daylighter in the resurrection ritual for Sebastian. It had been Cameron. And now that Cameron was in here…

That could only mean Lillith no longer needed him because the ritual was finished. Sebastian was back. And there was no one in the world who could stop him. All because of Simon and his stupid wish.

Without a word, Simon sat in the far corner from Cameron and put his head in his hands.


	5. Chapter 5: Lost hope

After a long while Simon finally was calm enough to look back out the window. The sun was setting, sending rays of gold and red light shining into the room between the bars of the window. It would have been beautiful if it hadn't been a reminder that time was running out. By morning, Simon wouldn't be able to remember the Time Seer or his wish. The timeline would be permanent. But he still couldn't seem to let go of hope. Not just yet. He hated himself for it, but he just couldn't. He had fallen right into Izuryale's trap.

Cameron was sitting in the opposite corner of the room, watching him with interest. Simon wondered how well the vampire could read his expression. He was sure it showed guilt and despair, because that's exactly what he was feeling, and he really wasn't too good at keeping his emotions hidden.

"You're a very unusual human," said Cameron suddenly.

"You're just now figuring this out?" Simon couldn't help snapping at his roommate a bit. There was just too much bottled up emotion NOT to.

"Of course not," he answered calmly, "I was just noting… It's rather odd, you know what I am, what I do, but you are not afraid." He let his fangs snap out for emphasis, and Simon couldn't help flinching. Now that he wasn't a vampire himself, the sight sent instinctive alarm flashing through him.

"I've seen worse stuff, trust me," Simon replied after a moment. The vampire nodded.

"I suppose you probably have."

* * *

Minutes passed in silence, then hours… Still Simon clung to his last hope. He just couldn't help it. At first he'd thought he'd just wait a minute or two then give in and call off the wish. But after putting it off about fifty times, he knew he wasn't going to.

Then suddenly the silence was broken as the door swung open once again.

And revealed Lillith herself and Sebastian.

Simon backed to the far side of the cell, and Cameron snarled, fangs fully out, gleaming white in the darkness. But the demoness and her "son" paid him no attention. All their attention was on Simon.

"I must admit," Lillith said coolly, "When Izuryale first came to me with her plan, I was doubtful. But now that it has been brought all the way to its finish…" She smirked. "It really has worked like a charm. My darling son has returned, but without that pesky angel boy. As obscure as Izuryale was… She really did know a thing or two about strategy."

"'Did?'" echoed Simon.

"Oh yes. She was MUCH too wily to keep around. So I had my son kill her. I couldn't let her get out of control, now could I?"

"So you killed an ally who could have been useful? Classic villain."

"You may laugh now," said Lillith icily, "But you will not when you watch from the afterlife as my kind suck this worthless world dry!" She made a quick gesture at Sebastian. "Now, we have no more need of them. Dispose of these insects." Sebastian drew a sword, focused on Cameron.

"Hmph. And I suppose you're not going to even give me a sword as well?" snorted Cameron.

"Of course not," answered Sebastian, "You already have your vampire strength. That will make you troublesome enough as it is." Then he lunged for Cameron, blade ready.

As fast and strong as Cameron was, he was no match for Sebastian.

The fight lasted maybe half a minute, maybe less. Then Sebastian landed a swing, slicing into the vampire's arm, showering the room in scarlet. Cameron pulled back, screeching medieval profanity. From there the battle was pretty much over. The next moment, Sebastian stabbed, and Cameron was unable to move in time. He collapsed to the floor, motionless, blood pooling around him. Sebastian turned his eyes to Simon. The message was all too clear. 'You're next.'

The demonic shadowhunter began to advance, but this time much more leisurely. He knew Simon couldn't fight back. As far as he was concerned, Simon was already as good as dead. Simon knew there was no choice left. No hope. Nothing but death if he waited. Sebastian raised his sword, ready to strike.

"TIME SEER!" He knew she couldn't possibly arrive in time, not to save him from the sword coming straight at him. He flinched back, eyes shut…

And heard the clang of metal on metal.

He opened his eyes and gasped.

In the single instant in between calling out and the crash, someone had appeared in between Simon and Sebastian. Someone dressed in blue, with a shining gold sword that looked as if it was made of sunlight itself, and an aura of thrumming blue power that filled the room, setting it shaking as if the earth itself was quaking in fear of her. The Time Seer.

Her intense eyes were focused on Sebastian coldly, who looked absolutely stunned. Lillith looked just as shocked, but also notably frightened. Clearly she knew EXACTLY who this was, and wasn't pleased to meet her.

"Get out." It was only two words, but it had a profound effect on Sebastian and Lillith. The two flinched back as if they'd been struck. Simon wondered if she had used some sort of magic to cause that effect.

"Come," hissed Lillith at Sebastian, "It is not worth it, my son." And with those words, the two dashed out of the cell as fast as their feet could carry them. It would have been quite funny if it weren't for the heaviness of the atmosphere.

The Time Seer glanced to Cameron, her eyes sad. "Such a waste," she whispered softly. Then she looked to Simon. "Simon… Is there anything you want, before you forget?" He blinked in surprise and glanced outside. The sky was already beginning to lighten. Just looking at it, his memory began to feel fuzzy.

"Yes," he said, forcing himself to say the words. "I wish that none of this had ever happened. That I'd never met Izuryale, and that I'd never heard of you." She gave him a slightly hurt look, so he added, "So I can't ever misuse your powers ever again." At this she clearly understood, though she still looked sad.

"Very well… Simon Lewis, you are wiser than people give you credit for."

Then there was a flash…

Then nothing.

* * *

Simon paused on the sidewalk where he stood. He felt like he was forgetting something important, but couldn't figure out what. After a moment of contemplation he decided it was nothing, and continued on his way to Clary's, not even noticing the blue-garbed woman watching him with sad eyes from the darkness.

* * *

The Time Seer watched him walk silently, her heart heavy with countless millennia's worth of sorrowful memories and broken dreams. So much pain she could never fix. So many heroes she would never see satisfied. How cruel fate could be, forever torturing those who least deserved it. Even he, the Daylighter, her chosen hero, was not untouched. One day his worst fear would come true, she knew. He would live forever… While all those he cared about did not. In the end, he would be just as alone as she was. It filled her ancient soul with despair.

"Goodbye, old friend…" Her voice was so quiet it could have been nothing but dead leaves rustling in the streets. Then she turned and melted into the shadows, leaving nothing behind to remind the world that she had ever been, not even a memory.


End file.
